Electronics manufacturing, and in particular data storage device and computer manufacturing, involves integrating multiple components into a finished system. Manufacturers typically offer customers either a customized device such as a data storage system, which is built to a client's specification, or offer several different component combinations to accommodate a group of clients' preferences (i.e., clients data storage needs including redundancy, controller specifications, clients data storage capacity demands, and the like). For example, during manufacturing a wide variety of components such as controllers with varying chipsets, hard drives having different capacities, various communication cards and the like are selected for integration into a system. Verifying the correct combination of components may be difficult and time consuming. During manufacture, components to be integrated into a system are compared to a build sheet corresponding to a system configuration to be assembled to verify the proper components are included into the system.
Presently, components are stored in groups (e.g., all controllers having a first chipset are stored together, while controllers having a second chipset are stored together, and the like). As a result, employees must visually inspect the component to ensure the component corresponds to the component specified in the build sheet, or an optical scanner may be utilized to scan a barcode label (which identifies the component) to ensure the proper configuration is assembled. Improper component integration may result in customer complaints or in devices which have a more expensive component (greater functionality) than the component which was to be included. As a result, an assembled system may be sold for less than is desired for a system having the included component. In addition, improper component assembly may impact manufacturing efficiency due to inventory errors.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and system for providing for validating a manufacturing configuration during manufacture.